Orthodontic band forming plier



Dec. 6, 1955 M. RABBEN 2,725,632

ORTHODONTIC BAND FORMING PLIER Filed Nov. 1, 1954 M 92 INVENTOR.

39 MICHAEL RABBEA/ F I I3 5 BY/ 2 Km A r-rak NE Y United States PatentO 2,725,632 1 ORTHODONTIC BAND FORMING IP I JIER Michael Rabben, Phoenixvilie, Pa. Application November 1, 1954, Serial NO. 465,771 4 Claims. 01. 32-66) I This invention relates to dental implements, and more particularly to an improved implement for applying an anchor band to a tooth to which it may be subsequently attached, and which is utilized for supporting or anchoring an orthodontic arch wire. 7

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved orthodontic band forming plier which is simple in construction, which is easy to use, and which is operable for applying bands to teeth in all four quadrants of a patients mouth without excessive exertion on the part of the operator and without excessive discomfort to the patient. I I

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved orthodontic band forming plier which is inexpensive to fabricate, which is compact in size, and which greatly reduces the amount of time and effort required to fit erthodontic anchor bands to the teeth to which they are to be applied.

. A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved orthodontic band .fo rming implement which is so arranged that an anchor band is automatically formed-thereby to snugly engageand to receive the tooth to which it is to be applied, whereby the band will be properly shaped to interlock with the tooth, and whereby the band will provide a stable support for the arch wire with which it is ultimately to be used.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of an improved band forming implement constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the band forming implement of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship of the beak elements of the implement when engaged with an anchor band and applying forming pressure to the band, with the band engaged around the tooth to which it is to be applied, said view being taken on line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and illustrating the manner in which the concave forming surfaces of the beak elements may be employed to shape the band to generally conform to the contour of the tooth to which it is to be applied.

Referring to the drawings, a typical embodiment of the improved Orthodontic band forming implement is designated generally at 11. The implement comprises the relatively movable body members 12 and 13 which are pivotally connected at 14. Body members 12 and 13 have the respective rearwardly extending handles 15 and 16 and the respective forwardly extending opposed arms 17 and 18. The end portions of the arms 17 and 18 are bent upwardly and forwardly at 19 and 20 to define the upwardly and forwardly inclined op- 2,725,632 Patented Dec. 6, 1955 2 posing beaks 2 1 and 22, of substantial length, for example, about 7 inch. a

The angles defined by the bends 19 and 20 are of the order of degrees, or slightly greater than 90 degrees, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the beaks 21 and 22 remain substantially parallel to each other as the arms 17 and 18 are separated.

A leaf spring 23 has one end portion thereof secured at 24 to the inside surface of the handle 16 and has an arcuately curved free end portion 25 engaging the inside surface of the handle 15, as shown in Figure 1, biasing the arms 17 and 18, and hence the beaks 21 and 22, into abutment with each other. By exerting squeezing force on the handles 15 and 16, said handles may be rotated towards each other against the force of the leaf spring 23, causing the beaks 21 and 22 to be separated from each other, but to remain substantially parallel, as above explained.

The beaks 21 and 22 are formed at their end portions with the aligned open-ended slots 26 and 27 extending in a plane parallel to and located midway between the front and rear surfaces of the beaks, and defining a pair of fingers 28 and 29 on the beak 21 and a similar pair of fingers 30 and 21 on the beak 22. The slots extend in depth for substantially the complete length of the concave surfaces 33 (for example, approximately /8 inch), as shown. p a v The outer side surfaces ofthe beaks (and hence the outer side surfaces of the fingers 28, 29 and 3t), 31) are formed with outwardly concave arcuate recesses 32 adjacent the tips of the fingers, and are further formed with the additional outwardly concave arcuaterece'sses 33 of different curvature than and located below the recesses 32, as shown in Figure 3, for a purpose presently to be explained.

In using the implement 11, the intermediate portion ofa band, such as a stainless steel band 34, shown in Figures 4 and 5, is engaged in the slot of one of the beaks, for example, between the fingers 28 and 29 in Figures 4 and 5, the rear loop p rtion 35 of the band is engaged through the slot of the other beak and around one of the fingers thereof, for example, the finger 31, as shown, andthe forward loop portion 36 of the band is engaged around the tooth 37 on which the band is to be mounted, as illustrated in Figure 5. The handles 15 and 16 are then squeezed together, forcing the beaks 21 and 22 apart while maintaining them substantially parallel.

The beaks are arranged so that the arcuate surfaces 32 (or arcuate surfaces 33, depending upon the degree of curvature of the outer surface Of the tooth 37) exert forming pressure on the portions of the band loop 36 adjacent the fingers 28, 29, whereby the concave surfaces 32 (or 33) function as dies to deform the band loop 36 to conform substantially with the curvature of the tooth 37 on its entire circumference. At the same time, the band is given a permanent set or crimp at the bends 38 and 39 adjacent the fingers 28 and 29 as the rear loop portion 35 of the band is drawn taut.

After the forward loop 36 of the band has been thus formed around the tooth 37, the operator relaxes his grip on the handles 15 and 16, allowing loop 36 to loosen, and allowing the deformed band to be removed from the tooth and thence from the implement. Thereafter, the band is Welded or soldered at the crimped portions 38, 39, and the forward portion or the band, including the formed collar or loop 36, is severed from the major portion of the rear loop 35. The closed loop or band 36 thus formed is then further provided with the anchor element for the arch wire, in accordance with well known practice.

As will be apparent, because of the symmetrical relati'onshipof the fingers 30, 31 and 28, 29 with respect to the plane of slots 26 and 27, and because of the symmetrical relationship of the fingers 30, 28 and 31, 29 with respect to a plane normal to the plane of the slots,

"the "implement may be' employed in the four diiferent positions or orientations in the patients mouth with equal effectiveness, as required in fitting bands to teeth in the four quadrants of the mouth, namely, upper right quadrant, upper left quadrant, lower right quadrant, and lower left quadrant.

Furthermore, because of the provision of the upstanding beaks 21, 22 on the respective arms 17, 18, the beaks 21 and 22, in efiect, remain substantially parallel to each other as the arms 17 and 18 rotate with respect to each other, preventing slipping of the band as the arms 17 and 18 separate. The orientation of the beaks with respect to the arms 17 and 18 also allows the operator to efficiently form the anchor bands on the correct portion of the patients tooth without involving painful or uncomfortable distortion of the patients mouth.

By employing either the upper arcuate concave forming recesses 32 or the lower concave arcuate forming recesses 33, a wide range of different shapes or curvatures of teeth may be fitted with anchor bands by the use of the same implement. The arcuate recesses help to properly shape the band without requiring excessive tension on the band and excessively tight constriction thereof around the tooth on which the band is being fitted.

While a specific embodiment of an orthodontic band forming plier has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is'intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic band forming implement comprising a pair of arms, means pivotally connecting said arms, and parallel upstanding beaks on the ends of the arms, said beaks being formed with aligned slits at their ends, defining respectively pairs of fingers at said ends, the outer side surfaces of the beaks being formed adjacent said slits with outwardly concave arcuate recesses conforming generally to the outer curvature of a tooth.

2. An orthodontic band forming implement comprising a pair of arms, means pivotally connecting said arms, and parallel upstanding beaks on the ends of the arms, said beaks being formed with aligned slits at their ends, defining respective pairs of 'fingers at said ends, said pairs of fingers being substantially symmetrically located with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of the slits, and the respective fingers of each pair being substantially symmetrically located with respect to the plane of the slits, whereby an anchor band may be looped on a respective one of the fingers of one beak and drawn through the slit between the fingers on'the other beak in four different orientations of the implement corresponding to the four quadrants of the mouth, the outer side surface of each beak being formed adjacent the associated slit thereof with an outwardly concave recess conforming generally to the outer curvature of a tooth.

3. An orthodontic band forming implement comprising a pair of arms, means pivotally connecting said arms, and parallel upstanding beaks on the ends of the arms, said beaks being formed with aligned slits at their ends, defining respective pairs of fingers at said ends, said pairs of fingers being substantially symmetrically located with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane of the slits, and the respective fingers of each pair being substantially symmetrically located with respect to the plane of the slits, whereby an anchor band may be looped on a re spective one of the fingers of one beak and drawn through the slit between the fingers on the other beak in four different orientations of the implement corresponding to the four quadrants of the mouth, the outer side surface of each beak being formed adjacent the associated slit thereof with a series of outwardly concave arcuate recesses corresponding to the outer curvatures of teeth.

4. An orthodontic band forming implement comprising a pair of arms, means pivotally connecting said arms, and parallel upstanding beaks on the ends of the arms, at least one of said beaks being formed with a slit defining a pair of fingers, the outer side surface of said one of the beaks being formed with an outwardly concave arcuate recess conforming generally to the outer curvature of a tooth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,163,196 Angle Dec. 7, 1915 1,187,480 Angle June 20, 1916 1,299,102 Angle Apr. 1. 1919 

